Our People

Randy Kielbasiewicz

Randy Kielbasiewicz has been climbing in Ontario for over 30 years. Generally preferring cliffs that are quiet and secluded, Randy has established numerous traditional and bolted routes across Ontario. In 2010, Randy reached out to Devil’s Glen Provincial Park as a local climber wishing to establish long-term official access. This led to joining the OAC Board of Directors in 2012, and becoming Co-Chair in 2014. Randy’s focus is Central Ontario.

Mike Penney

Mike Penney has been climbing in Ontario for over 20 years. Mike has been active in hardware replacement efforts and route development throughout Beaver Valley and Lion’s Head since 2011. He is a passionate outdoor and climbing photographer with work often published in Gripped Magazine. Mike joined the OAC Board of Directors in 2016, and became Co-Chair in 2018. Mike’s focus is South Western Ontario.

Patrick Lam

Patrick Lam has supported the OAC since its inception, but become more actively involved since June 2012 and a director in 2013. One of Patrick’s main goals is to improve the lines of communication between the OAC and the climbing community. His analytical, grammatical and technological skills are a great help to the team. Patrick has been climbing for more than 15 years, with the majority of that time spent in Ontario. He enjoys sport, trad, multi-pitch and mountaineering.

Mike Makischuk

Mike Makischuk started volunteering with the OAC in 2017. Climbing for over 20 years, he brings a strong passion for all aspects of climbing, from bouldering to sport climbing to alpine walls. Mike is also known to enjoy type-2 fun offwidth... Mike works tirelessly towards greater collaboration across the climbing community.

Kacy Wilson

Kacy Wilson has been climbing since 2001. Kacy has been particularly active within the bouldering community, competing competitively as a member of the Up The Bloc & Joe Rockhead's climbing teams. Kacy's focus has historically been at the Niagara Glen where she works closely with the Niagara Parks Commission as an advocate for climbers. In more recent years, she has taken on a wider mandate across South Western Ontario. She owns a marketing company and in her spare time, she teaches climbing classes and clinics. Kacy is also an organizing committee member for the Canadian Climbing Medicine Symposium.

Jessica Best

Jessica Best started climbing on the west coast, though she's originally from Ontario. Her passion for photography and the outdoors is a great complement to her love of climbing. Though a graduate of cognitive science and a software engineer by trade, Jessica takes advantage of every opportunity to get away from computer screens and be outside. These days you can often find her sharing her love of climbing by mentoring others, coaching competitive youth teams, or routesetting.

Dustin Johnston-Jewell

Dustin Johnston-Jewell has climbed in Ontario and across North America since 2008. His passion and excitement for sharing climbing with others has led to productive exploits such as Climbing Costa Rica, an English language sport climbing guidebook for Costa Rica; 5+ years of national level youth competitive coaching; acting as the Rock Coordinator with the Toronto section of the Alpine Club of Canada; and now volunteering with the OAC. He is fascinated by the propensity for climbers to shorten a climbing destination's name to “The...”: The Bugs, The Valley, The Red, The New, The Creek,... and so forth. He brings home the bacon in the strategy consulting world.

John Vellone

John Vellone is a proud father and husband, an avid rock climber, a keen ice climber and enthusiastic mountaineer. John is a board member of the Alpine Club of Canada, Toronto Section, and acts as a liaison on environment and access issues across the province. He regularly meets and negotiates with public land managers and private land owners to secure and maintain climbing access. When not climbing or being a dad, John works as a lawyer in Toronto specialized in energy law with a particular passion for designing legal instruments that will facilitate the development and growth of renewable energy projects across Canada.

Jeremy Fortier

Matthew Gleeson

Matt Gleeson only started climbing in 2018, but the sport has quickly become a cornerstone of his life. Matt prefers multipitch trad climbing and first learned on northern Ontario granite, but loves the Niagara Escarpment for weekend sport climbing. Matt previously worked as an entrepreneur in the broadcast accessibility field and is now employed as a Senior Business Analyst with TD Bank. Matt joined the OAC in 2022 as Treasurer to give back to the community and flex his Excel skills.

David Irwin

David Irwin started climbing in indoors in 2013 before quickly transitioning outdoors, benefitting from mentors within the community. Dave first learned about the OAC through discussions regarding access to crags in Central Ontario. The OAC’s expertise and knowledge demonstrated the value of the organization and led him to becoming a member, and later a volunteer. Dave’s working hours are spent at RBC where he bridges the gap between Technology and Business.

Tyler Coffin